Worlds Apart
by JinxedEuphoria
Summary: Modern take on the widening gap in Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's relationship. Set in Melbourne, Australia. Rated M due to suggested violence and mild language..just to be safe.


_**Author's note: **I wrote this for an English creative writing assignment last year. We had different options to choose from, and I chose to change a scene into a narrative set in modern times. I changed all the characters' names (for obvious reasons) and set the story in Australia (the CBD mentioned being Melbourne, Victoria). My inspiration for using this location and the whole 'gangland family' thing came from the 2006 film 'Macbeth' which was set and filmed in Melbourne, and also because it's kinda where I live :) And those families are pretty much modern day royalty.  
Act III Scene II is the part of the play I used for the story, as well as bits and pieces from other scenes relating to it, as this is the moment in the play when the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth changes and their personalities/roles 'switch'. I think this scene is the one that shows the audience that Macbeth's ambition has got a hold of him completely and his descent is set in motion. There is a lot of tension and emotion between the couple which I thought would be interesting and fun to write, and my version offers more insight into what Lady Macbeth is thinking at this point. I also included a lot of the symbolism that is used in the play because I love writing stories that use seemingly meaningless objects/situations that add depth and further meaning. I also love reading fanfics that include symbols from and references to the original material that only the most hardcore and obsessed fans would recognise, and have that little 'squeeeeeeee! ^^' moment..so now it's my turn!  
You'll probably be able to figure out who my characters represent in the play but I'll include a list, just in case. ;)_

_Max__ = Macbeth Lucy = Lady Macbeth Ben = Banquo Danny = King Duncan Gypsy = the witches/weird sisters Two unnamed guys = the murderers _

_Sam = original character (because Lucy needed a friend)_

_ENJOY!_

**_Disclaimer: _**_Nothing related to Macbeth is mine. I take my hat off to Shakespeare..if I had a hat :D_

* * *

The night is dark; no stars, no clouds plague the black sky. The only natural source of light is the full moon. But even her glow is pale and weak, afraid of drawing too much attention to herself or illuminating some dreadful, bloody act against nature, as she had done the night before.

The red, blue and white lights of city life below flash out of time and rush by, clashing and mingling, as the moon casts her soft radiance upon the elegant, yet ominous, hotel that stands on the outskirts of the CBD.

The frenzy of colour mirrors the chaotic excitement that fills the restaurant on the third floor where, following the events of the previous night, the Callahan family and associates are celebrating. Everyone of importance to the family business is present, except for Max who, ironically, is now what they light-heartedly refer to as the 'CEO of the company'.

But, in the midst of the loud chatter and laughter, alcohol and forgotten food, and the blast of terrible music, nobody notices the reason for the feast is absent.

Except beautiful Lucy, the 'second-in-command'.

Lucy sits alone in her vibrant purple halter-neck dress at the long table. She holds a glass of champagne in one hand and unknowingly fiddles with the hem of her dress with the other. She remains unaffected by the thrill of the scene in front of her and loses herself in her own thoughts, the sounds of happiness turning to hollow echoes around her.

_Why does he do this? Why? He could at least talk to me, after all we're both responsible. I'm such an idiot for talking him into it! We shouldn't have done it…no, it was the only way. And he just needs more time to come to terms with what's happened, that's all. That's why he goes off by himself without a word to anyone. No other reason. He wouldn't…_

Lucy closes her eyes and bows her head. She can't bring herself to doubt her husband's faithfulness, even if it would only be in her head. Lucy trusts Max, but the trouble is whether Max trusts Lucy. This thought crosses Lucy's mind as she raises her head and, as suddenly as that thought entered her awareness, it disappears with the echoes.

* * *

"Gypsy's told me that Ben's planning to take over. I want him gone,"

Two men, one older and rougher looking than the other, sit at a small table in the middle of a decent sized room on the floor above the restaurant.

Constant, muffled beats from the music downstairs pulse through the floor and walls like a heart pumping blood around the body.

Max walks over to the two men and places a beer in front of each of them.

"Come on, you really gonna listen to her? What makes you so sure she's tellin' the truth?" the older man says, swiping the cold glass bottle off the table and removing the cap effortlessly. The other man does the same.

"Yeah, I am and I have my reasons," Max replies as he slowly walks around to the opposite side of the table and sits in the empty seat.

He watches the men intently as they drink, possibly to employ intimidation in his attempt to get the men to do his dirty work. The younger man replaces his beer on the table and his eyes meet Max's, causing the man to shift uneasily in his chair. Max smirks and the older man leans forward.

"Listen, Callahan. We ain't just gonna go kill some guy 'cause you say this girl told you he's gonna knock you off your pedestal. We need proof,"

Silence and tension surround the three men for a moment. Max then reaches into the black duffel bag on the floor next to his chair and produces two stacks of hundred dollar notes. He throws what would easily be four-hundred-thousand dollars into the middle of the table.

"You sure?"

* * *

Lucy yawns as she makes her way down the empty hall. Apart from the thinning noise from the restaurant, it's quiet, and the small dim lights lining the walls makes the place look old and yellow. Lucy stops halfway and leans against the wall. Yawning again, she unbuckles her black stilettos, leaves them on the soft, dark carpet, and continues down the hall.

"Hey, Lucy," a familiar voice calls out cheerfully.

Lucy turns and sees her best friend, Sam, walking towards her.

"Hey, Sam. What's up?"

Sam stands in front of her, hands in his pockets.

"Could ask you the same thing," he smiles. "Where are you off to?"

Lucy returns a tired smile and they begin to walk down the hall.

"The roof. I need fresh air and somewhere to think,"

"Well, I'll come with you. I could use some fresh air and thinking myself,"

Lucy smiles, puts her arm around Sam's waist and leans into his shoulder.

"Well, you're welcome," Sam says.

He puts his arm around Lucy's shoulders and opens the door to the spiral staircase leading to the roof.

* * *

Sam takes a deep breath.

"I wouldn't really call this fresh air, but," he trails off.

Lucy laughs in agreement. "It beats being in a stuffy restaurant with a hundred-odd people you don't even know,"

She walks over to the edge of the roof and leans on the railing, her wavy brown hair fluttering in the breeze. Sam follows and leans on the railing, facing Lucy.

"Is everything okay, Luce?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. I'm just really tired," Lucy sighs and looks at Sam. "Why?"

Sam lifts his hands in innocence. "Just asking. But, you know, I've known you long enough to know when there's something you don't wanna talk about," he smiles and stands up. "Make sure you don't keep it all bottled up, you'll go mad."

He walks back towards the door and Lucy turns, watching.

"Oh," Sam spins back around. "On the way here, I saw something really weird,"

"Really?"

"Yeah, as we were driving through Beveridge. I was sitting in the back and I saw a magpie kill a wedge-tailed eagle!"

Lucy frowns. "What?"

"Yeah. It fell right out of the sky," he searches Lucy's face for any tell of what is going through her mind. "Weird, huh?"

Lucy avoids his gaze and nods with a smile. "Trust you to notice something like that."

Sam chuckles and continues towards the door. "Night, Lucy."

"Good night," she stares after Sam as he disappears down the stairs, and feels the same sick remorse she felt earlier in the day when she realised just what she and Max had done.

She walks back over to the railing and remembers when Max earned the nickname 'Magpie' due to his compulsion to hang on to new, shiny coins that made their way into his change pocket.

She also remembers the love of wedge-tailed eagles Max's cousin Danny had before he was murdered.

Before Max murdered him, and Lucy helped.

Lucy feels her eyes start to well up as she looks up at the dark sky and pale moon.

_Danny didn't deserve it. He was a great man, as far as great men go in this business. Why did we have to be so bloody ambitious?_

A lone tear rolls down Lucy's cheek as she sniffs and breathes out.

"Lucy, honey,"

Lucy spins around in surprise. Max walks towards her, concerned.

"Just ran into Sam, he told me you were up here. What's wrong?"

Lucy quickly wipes the tear from her face.

"Nothing. I'm fine. Just tired."

"So am I. Wish I could sleep," Max embraces her and kisses her forehead. "Whenever I close my eyes, I just see Danny, the lucky bastard. He's not in this shit-hole anymore, no worries, no fear,"

Lucy looks into Max's dark eyes.

"You can't keep thinking about it like this, you'll go crazy,"

Max meets Lucy's gaze for a moment then walks past her to the railing.

"I want you to be careful of Ben. Gypsy said he could be dangerous," he turns back to Lucy. "Okay?"

She remains standing with her back to Max. "What have you done?"

He quickly walks back to Lucy and gently pulls her close, looking into her sad blue eyes.

"Don't worry about it, hon. Alright? Everything's gonna work out fine,"

"Nothing's gonna be fine," Lucy whispers. "Whatever it is we have now isn't worth murdering for. We're not safe from anyone or anything," Tears stream uncontrollably down Lucy's face. "No-one in that restaurant can be trusted. Any one of them could do the exact same thing we did to Danny to us. And then there's the cops,"

Max straightens up, saying nothing and watches his wife wipe tears from her pretty face.

Lucy sobs a few times and wipes her eyes until she can see clearly again. As she raises her head, she catches a splotch of red out the corner of her eye and frowns.

"What's that?"

She pulls Max's right arm closer and her eyes widen. There, in the pale moonlight, she sees bright red blood on his bare forearm, smeared over the blade of the dagger tattoo.

"Must've caught it on something," Max answers, uninterested.

Lucy stares at the tattoo and the blood for what feels like hours, finding it hard to believe that it's actually real.

Finally, Max's voice brings her back to reality.

"Come on, let's go back to the room."

He takes Lucy's hand in his and puts his tattooed arm tightly around her shoulders.

He leads her slowly down the spiralling staircase to what they need most: sleep.


End file.
